Illuminated tool



Feb. 28, 1956 F. F. FREELAND ILLUMINATED TOOL Filed June 24, 1952 INVENTOR.

FREDERICK F. FREELAND BY W ILLUMINATED TOOL Frederick F. Freeland, Morristown, N. J.

Application June 24, 1952, Serial No. 295,378

2 Claims. (Cl. 240--6.46)

(Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to work illuminating tools.

In many instances where working in poorly illuminated rooms or areas, it is necessary that a beam of light be focused upon the object worked upon in order that the work can be accomplished. Many work illuminating handles for tools have been heretofore designed and manufactured wherein a light source is contained within the handle and the beam of light is focused generally in the direction of the tool accomplishing a particular function. However, it has been found that no means have ever been designed wherein the beam of light can be focused directly on the working area so that the work area will be particularly well lighted.

It is the primary object in the present invention to provide means whereby a spot of light may be delivered from a tool to a working surface, without obstruction by any shadows.

While the invention herein is applicable to a wide variety of tools, it is particularly adaptable as applied to a screw driver and the specific embodiment herein will be described in connection with such a tool.

The invention can best be understood from the following description to be read in view of the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a complete screw driver; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal fragmentary sectional view showing parts of the tool and a detailview of the optical system.

Referring to the drawing, the tool comprises basically a casing 11 provided with a longitudinally disposed bore, defining a chamber 13. At one end, the casing is internally threaded to accommodate a threaded removable cap 15. The casing 11 includes an enlarged handle portion 17 which may be knurled, or, as shown, have a plurality of longitudinal grooves 19 to facilitate gripping of the tool. To the underside, or inner end surface, of the cap 15 there is secured a spring 21, which spring is in electrical engagement with two dry cells 23 and 25 which serve as a source of electric potential for the illuminating system hereinafter described. The other end of the casing 11 is provided with a plug 27 made of a translucent plastic material such as Lucite. The plug 27 is provided with an axial bore 29 defining a socket which serves as a receptacle for the shank of a screw driver 31. In assembling the plug and tool, it is preferred that the tool 31 be inserted into the plastic while in a molten state, whereby the tool can become intimately bonded to the plug, thus insuring a tight fit, thereby preventing any possible movement of the tool.

As can be seen from the drawing (Fig. 2), the end of the screw driver shank is provided with a convex refleeting surface 32 for reasons which will be hereinafter set forth. Such reflecting surface can be applied to the end of the tool by shaping and polishing the tool to form such convex reflecting surface or an independent and United States Patent 2,736,792 Patented Feb. 2a, 1956 separate convex reflecting surface can be applied or joined to the end of the tool in any desired fashion.

The source of illumination is a conventional flashlight bulb in electrical contact with the battery '23. The bulb is held by contact springs 35 and by a reflector 37 which is concave in contour such as are common to flashlights. The springs 35 and the reflector plate 37 are intimately united and at their juncture rest against an annular shoulder 39 formed within the casing 11. i

The electric circuit from the batteries 23, 25 to th light bulb 35 is as follows:

The negative connection is obtained by contact of the spring 21 against the zinc portion of the battery 25. The underside of the cap 15 is provided with copper flashing 24, as is a longitudinal strip of inner surface of the casing 11 to a point in the casing provided with a metal rivet 41. The copper flashing is then interrupted and commences at a point in the casing 11 provided with a metal rivet 43 and continues to the contact point of the union of springs 35 and reflector 37. Rivet 41 and rivet 43 are connected to complete the electric circuit for illuminating the light bulb by means of a spring contact switch 45 which is secured to the underside of a rotatable ring 47 aflixed to the casing 11. Switching is accomplished by rotating the ring 47 which will bring the spring contact into or out of engagement with the rivets 41, 43 as desired.

In operation, as soon as the switch is turned making electrical contact, the bulb will become illuminated focusing light rays onto the convex reflective surface 32 of the shank portion of the screw driver 31. Such light rays will be reflected back to the concave reflector 37 and thence outwardly through the translucent plug 27 directly to the working area of the screw driver 31.

While there has been herein described one specific embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, for example, in place of providing the convex reflective surface 32 on the end of the tool within the plug 27, a reflective surface of the same contour, that is, convex, can be placed against the end of the plug 27, thereby accomplishing the same desired result. In addition any conventional type of switch such as are common to flashlights may be used in place of the rotary type shown herein.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. An illuminated tool comprising an elongated cylindrical casing, a longitudinally disposed bore defining a chamber Within said casing, illuminating means within said chamber including a light bulb, a concave reflector mounted within said chamber and extending transversely of said light bulb, said light bulb projecting through said reflector, means in circuit with said light bulb for illuminating said bulb, a plug of translucent material positioned anteriorly in said casing relative to said illuminating means; an axial bore in said plug, a tool positioned in said bore, said tool having a reflector afiixed to its confined end immediately adjacent said bulb whereby rays from said bulb are reflected from said last mentioned reflector to said concave reflector and through said plug to the end of said tool.

2. An illuminated tool comprising an elongated cylindrical casing, a longitudinally disposed chamber within said casing, illuminating means within said chamber including a light bulb, a concave reflector mounted within said chamber and extending transversely of said light bulb, said light bulb projecting through said reflector, means in circuit with said light bulb for illuminating said bulb, a plug of translucent material positioned anteriorly in said casing relative to said illuminating means, an axial bore in said plug, a tool having its shank portion positioned in said bore, the shank portion of said tool terminatiflg zin a "eonvex"rflebtive surface immediately adja- -cent-said bulb whereby when said bulb is. illuminated light rays from said bulb are reflected from said convex reflector to said concave reflector and thence through said 1blug -to the nd of said 4001.

RferencesCitd in the file (sums patent 1U NITED "STATES. PATENTS 212 42536 '-'-Montgomery "Ma'y-'20, "1 94l Kafienberger et a1 'J um 20, Iwanowicz Feb. 16, Williams Jan. 10, Kleinschmidt Oct. 10,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Oct. 23, Great Britain Nov. 17, France-.- i Apr. 16, 

